Yes, we heard you loud and clear—it’s been a long time coming, but the wait is finally over...SMARTY now supports shortcode messaging. So, what’s the big deal with shortcodes? They’re those snappy little numbers (3-6 digits, usually five) that let you: ✔️ Enter epic competitions ✔️ Vote for your favourite reality TV stars ✔️ Confirm important appointments ✔️ Donate to causes that matter ...and much more. Heads up! Chargeable shortcodes aren’t included in your plan, so you’ll need an out-of-plan add-on to text them. If your shortcode is free, such as to confirm a doctor’s appointment, text away. Not sure how much a chargeable shortcode costs? No worries! We’ve built a super-handy shortcode checker so you can see the details upfront. For all the nitty-gritty, check out our help article. And as always, thanks for keeping us on our toes with your awesome feedback—we’re here to make your life easier. Now go forth and text wisely!

Hi I gather from a few other posts that these are not possible at the moment! I found this in some information blurb from SMARTY - " At some point you'll be able to send other kinds of messages which will be chargeable. This will include premium-rate texts and short-codes, which are used for entering competitions, buying ringtones and voting on reality TV shows, and paying for parking." As other people say they don't indicate when this will be available! I agree with the others that it should be no problem with a decent quality service! I too, like some other people may well be switching to another provider which doesn't have this problem!

THIS DOES NOT WORK. The App just takes you to the phone dialler and Smarty won’t connect the call. Very annoying.

Any news on this, George ? Since I joined Smarty on June 2nd this year (2023) it’s been great, I hope I have been a decent contributor to this forum, but I may have to sadly switch to another network simply because Smarty does not allow its users to use short codes. In the little over three months since I have been with Smarty, I have received, and been expected to reply to, short codes from my water company, doctors surgery and now my bank. All of which of course I cannot currently reply to using Smarty. I emailed my water company, but as you can imagine, ringing my GP surgery and bank was a massive user of time, “You are number 19 in the queue” etc when a simple 5 second text message would have got the job done….Do I want to leave Smarty ? Heck no, I don’t, but Smarty really needs to get its backside in gear re short code texts, which seem to be increasing in their use by various organisations. If Smarty doesn’t rectify this issue very quickly, they will be responsible for eroding their own customer base, which would be a crazy state of affairs.

I have - they have to link it to my mobile number and that's the only way currently to access my medical text service. Will need to look at another provider as this happens with my regular blood bookings also. This is a free text service with no charges so frustrating that these are blocked.

Very disappointed as I'm unable to vote! "Sorry, you have not been give access to this service"The app just redirects you to the same number!SMARTY, you let me down 😞

[Announcement] BIG NEWS: You can now text shortcodes! 🎉

500 Replies

Matthew_SMARTY
SMARTY Maverick
12-05-2023
With the qualifiers of Eurovision 2023 ongoing, it is important to remember if you are with SMARTY, and want to vote for your favorite song, you will have to do this through the Eurovision app.
App | Eurovision Song Contest
You are also able to cast your vote directly through the website.
Eurovision 2023 Voting (esc.vote)
Happy dancing!
- Supersonic-2005
  SMARTY Pioneer
  20-05-2024
  Yeah i couldn't vote this year either, they are not updates on why SMARTY numbers cannot call and vote and no updates about when they are going to fix this issue. It's sad that we have to switch to other networks, feels like they are pushing us to competitors.
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    20-05-2024
    Supersonic-2005 They have never offered short code text service and also never suggested when they will do that.
    Presumably they are prepared to stand the loss of those customers who find it an important feature.
- JoeFitz
  SMARTY Pioneer
  11-05-2024
  Shocking that we still can’t (after a year) text these 15p sms numbers. I just don’t see what the issue is here.
  - JJP2RidesAgain
    SMARTY Centurion
    11-05-2024
    Smarty haven’t provisioned it, that’s the issue.
    Take it up with Smarty directly - This community forum is populated by Smarty customers, who do not work for Smarty, so we have no input in to their decisions.
- Bumblebear
  SMARTY Pioneer
  08-05-2024
  As of 2024, if you want to vote in Eurovision, you'll need to use a none smarty phone number 😞
  Had a slow drawn out text chat with a human on customer services today. Here's the condensed outcome of that conversation :
  I have checked with my team and they have informed me that at the moment you can't currently call the following numbers with any of the SMARTY plans:
  Premium numbers beginning with 09 or 07
  Satellite numbers (numbers that start with 0088 or 0087)
  Directory enquiries (118)
  I have highlighted your issue with my team so we can active above number to make call from out of plan add ons
  Once you are able to call above numbers we will update you through SMARTY website or dashboard
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    09-05-2024
    Bumblebear I don't think that Eurovision voting will be on any of that type of number.
    As far as I could see, sms votes are on a short code and calls are on a non-standard number - perhaps Irish?
LauraWe_1311036
SMARTY Pioneer
05-04-2023
How do I enter competition with having bought extra credit to do so and message not sending?? Help please
- AB
  SMARTY Commentator
  06-04-2023
  I had same problem put £5 credit to send text didnt work but was able to use £5 to pay for monthly plan
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    06-04-2023
    Hi AB . It's often handy to put some credit on the account when travelling to a non EU country for emergency use. Upon return, it's easy to allow the unused credit to be used towards the next Smarty plan.
- MSF
  SMARTY Guru
  05-04-2023
  As Chalkychap says, you cannot send short code texts as Smarty does not support that currently. The extra credit has not been lost - you can choose to use it towards your next Smarty Plan.
- Chalkychap
  SMARTY Trendsetter
  05-04-2023
  SMARTY don't currently support short-codes on their network, so you'd need to enter online. Most competitions usually have an online entry form LauraWe_1311036.
  🍀
BillyDick_86143
SMARTY Rookie
16-03-2023
- Chalkychap
  SMARTY Trendsetter
  16-03-2023
  You can't send "STOP" to 85004 BillyDick_86143 - SMARTY do NOT currently support use of short-codes on their mobile network.
  - Defiant1337
    SMARTY Maverick
    16-03-2023
    Does this mean we can't report spam to 7726 (OFCOM)
LauraFis_317418
SMARTY Maverick
07-03-2023
I have received a text message from my midwife/health visitor service to opt in for an app. I have to reply yes - and the text message wont send. I have attempted to buy on add on as I know I cant text into competitions etc.

The reply to the opt in is a free text that does charge and is registered with uk regulator? This is for my medical care?
- Victoria
  SMARTY Rookie
  29-02-2024
  SMARTY, please unblock texting FREE short numbers.
  I'm not able to reply to my bank's authentication requests because of short number texting is blocked to ALL numbers - the one I need is FREE. This is very inconvenient.
  - stagger
    SMARTY Pioneer
    08-09-2024
    I also got the same problem and Smarty really can't help on this! I don't know why even the 'out of plan add on' cannot be help in this case! Now it is a right moment to think switching my bank accounts or switching my number to another telephone company. Can anyone know which telephone company could provide this service, even if it is chargeable.
- MSF
  SMARTY Guru
  07-03-2023
  Unfortunately, Smarty currently does not support messages to short code numbers (I suspect this is what you are trying to send).
  They say that they are looking into it. It may be worthwhile you having a web chat with the Support Team to log your problem - the more they get, then perhaps action will be quicker?
  Is it possible that you can download the app if your head;th professional sends you a link? Hope it works out for you.
Thisisausername
SMARTY Rookie
06-03-2023
I get text messages that I want to unsubscribe from by sending ‘STOP’ - however whenever i try to unsubscribe it says ‘Message failure’
- Chalkychap
  SMARTY Trendsetter
  06-03-2023
  Unfortunately Thisisausername, SMARTY Mobile don't support short-codes for sending/replying to an SMS. This means you can't send STOP in response to a text message from a short-code.
  There's a jointly owned UK company for mobile short-codes, which has more information about short-codes at https://www.short-codes.com/useful-information.
PeterWh_1550878
SMARTY Maverick
18-02-2023
Hi I gather from a few other posts that these are not possible at the moment!

I found this in some information blurb from SMARTY -

" At some point you'll be able to send other kinds of messages which will be chargeable. This will include premium-rate texts and short-codes, which are used for entering competitions, buying ringtones and voting on reality TV shows, and paying for parking."

As other people say they don't indicate when this will be available! I agree with the others that it should be no problem with a decent quality service!

I too, like some other people may well be switching to another provider which doesn't have this problem!
- John25
  SMARTY Maverick
  15-03-2025
  Finally Smarty are allowing short SMS. Just entered the 6 nations competition!
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    15-03-2025
    John25 Yes, they have - but people willl mostly need credit to pay for those texts of course.
- EileenB_2976700
  SMARTY Enquirer
  08-03-2025
  I receive txt messages following hospital appointments when they txt for me asses their service I'm unable to send my response even though the message says it is a free service Smarty does not let me reply. What must I do to fix this situation?
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    11-03-2025
    EileenB_2976700 Unfortunately nothing you can do because Smarty does not support the short code text system.
    I suggest calling the hospital appointments office.
- AndrewT_1896481
  SMARTY Maverick
  04-02-2025
  I think the evidence is that Smarty have no intention of providing short form text service. The fact that they no longer reply to comments is indicative that the Smarty business will simply be folded into Voxi or Vodafone once the 3 Business has been assimilated by Vodafone UK over the coming months.
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    04-02-2025
    AndrewT_1896481 You may well have a point there. On the other hand, the business may continue as it is - hard to tell at the minute. If that were the case, then Voda/Voxi or whatever would need to consider changing things for over a million customers suddenly.
GrahamS_1741072
SMARTY Pioneer
09-02-2023
I’ve received hospital appt texts and other automated messages but the reply texts fail. Have I got to reset anything? Other texts seem to work ok.
- MSF
  SMARTY Guru
  13-03-2023
  I'm just wondering if these are genuine. I say that because the NHS (hospitals or GP's) usually sends out reminders of appointments that are no-reply.
  Smarty currently only allows texts to standard mobile numbers and not short codes
- ValerieP_160962
  SMARTY Pioneer
  13-03-2023
  Is the text from
  6476673759
  - Chalkychap
    SMARTY Trendsetter
    13-03-2023
    That doesn't look like a UK mobile number ValerieP_160962 - to send an SMS overseas, you'll need to buy an add-on for your SMARTY plan.
- Chalkychap
  SMARTY Trendsetter
  09-02-2023
  If the messages have come from a short-code, then you won't be able to reply GrahamS_1741072.
  Apparently, SMARTY do not currently allow messaging to short-code numbers.
  Good luck GrahamS_1741072.
lesliec_1738186
SMARTY Pioneer
25-12-2022
- George
  Team SMARTY
  28-12-2022
  Hi lesliec_1738186 we currently do not support short-codes - this is something that may come in the future.
Ewshot
SMARTY Rookie
13-12-2022
Hi I'm trying to make a donation to a charity by SMS and it keeps failing with Error 38. Can anyone help sort this error issue?
- SimonPi_2719314
  SMARTY Pioneer
  15-11-2024
  This is still not an option, come on Smarty this is poor, otherwise an excellent service.
  - MSF
    SMARTY Guru
    15-11-2024
    SimonPi_2719314 That's because it relies on the short code sms system and they don't support that.
    Loads of threads on this from way back.
- SimonPi_2719314
  SMARTY Pioneer
  15-11-2024
  Still does not allow, very poor. come on Smarty, otherwise an excellent service.
- KironReid
  SMARTY Pioneer
  17-11-2023
  I was just trying to donate by text to the Vernon Kay Children in Need ultra marathon BBC Radio 2 appeal and it wasn't working. I thought I was doing something wrong. I don't normally donate by text message but thought it would be convenient this time. I'll donate on the web instead. Thanks for asking the question and for the answers.

Forum Discussion

[Announcement] BIG NEWS: You can now text shortcodes! 🎉

500 Replies

6476673759

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